On the national scale, incumbents may suffer dramatically in the 2010 midterm elections, potentially resulting in the Republicans gaining control of the House of Representatives (or maybe even the Senate).

This anti-incumbent sentiment has permeated to the state and local level as people continue to look for fresh ideas to serious economic and fiscal problems. It seems as though anti-incumbency has become the primary voter motivation; even stronger than partisanship.

As gubernatorial candidates battle for the state's top job, the most important issue remains obvious - money.

A balanced budget could define the success of the candidate that gains office. But there are many needs to consider, including education, transportation, public safety and health care. As state tax revenue remains low, cuts seem the only option.

Much nonsense has been written in recent years about the prospects of American decline and the inevitable rise of China. But it was not a declining power that I saw in recent weeks as I jetted from the Middle East to the Far East through two of America's pivotal geographic commands - Central Command and Pacific Command.

The very fact that the entire world is divided into American military commands is significant. There is no French, Indian or Brazilian equivalent - not yet even a Chinese counterpart. It is simply assumed without much comment that American soldiers will be central players ...

I've often heard that, although money doesn't make you happy, it does provide you with a greater number of options. Unfortunately, the number of options available for funding our educational systems have become fewer as our economy has faltered.

Even as late as 2007, when I began with the Hall County Board of Education, the options were more plentiful as was the amount of revenue. With the rate of growth at that time, I wouldn't have envisioned the need to close a school.

When a customer patronizes McDonald's and orders a Big Mac, he or she knows exactly what that burger is going to taste like. The recipe is not going to change from one week to the next. If it did, customers would never return.

In Georgia, however, voters who patronize the Republican Party are getting a little confused with the "brand" elected to govern at the state Capitol. From the governor to the GOP majority running the state legislature, leaders are putting forth an agenda that looks quite different from the Republican "menu" that has been sold to voters for ...

Back in 1776, Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations" pointed out that a competitive market economy would lead to increased wealth due to its great efficiency. But, what is it efficient at doing?

For the most part, modern economics views the environment - when it considers it at all - as a source of raw materials and as a place to put our waste. However, more and more economists and ecologists recognize that the environment serves other critical roles.